


floriography

by yaoza



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Language of Flowers, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 19:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20569970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaoza/pseuds/yaoza
Summary: Tending to the shop and helping out at the hospital helped keep Ino busy, but quiet moments took her back to a place of concern.It was a good thing that Lee didn’t allow for many quiet moments, she supposed.





	floriography

**Author's Note:**

> hello, my first fandom from when i was twelve!
> 
> this is a commission i wrote for a wonderful friend. sakuino rights ft. lee who is a very wonderful friend to both of them. i kinda went feral because i love flowers, but it's 938479234% just super cheesy fluff.
> 
> enjoy!

Ino watched as Rock Lee wandered through her flower shop, thoroughly examining each plant as he went. He’d burst in about five minutes ago, declaring that word had arrived by one of the Leaf’s messenger hawks that Sakura’s team was returning safely from their mission and that he needed a suitable bouquet to greet her with. Now, when he picked up one of her many roses to look over the flowers dramatically, she took the chance to speak up.

“You know, Lee— if I were someone else, I would be a lot more concerned that you were buying flowers for my girlfriend.”

Lee flushed immediately at the playful accusation, his entire face a vibrant red as he gesticulated wildly and spluttered over a response. “That is not—! I would never—!”

Huffing a genuine laugh— over the last month of worry and wait, how long had it been since the last time she let herself laugh like this?— Ino placed a hand on the flustered ninja’s shoulder. “I was teasing you, silly. I know that you and Sakura have this whole flower-gifting competition. It’s been going on for what, ten years now?” Lee nodded earnestly as soon as she finished her question, and Ino found it in herself to laugh even louder.

“I would never come between true love such as yours! I merely wish to see Sakura smile when she returns home!”

Ino’s smile melted a bit into something warm and soft. Lee was such a ridiculous man, but it was always reassuring to have him around, given how genuine and honest he was. The past month since Sakura’s team had been sent on an S-rank mission had been one of intermittent nerves. On the one hand, she knew just how capable her girlfriend was and had complete faith in her abilities as both a ninja and a healer. On the other… It hadn’t been long since the war, and the sting of fear and loss still permeated the village underneath everyone’s hope for the future.

Tending to the shop and helping out at the hospital helped keep Ino busy, but quiet moments took her back to a place of concern.

It was a good thing that Lee didn’t allow for many quiet moments, she supposed.

“I just do not know which flowers she would like best. It is so very hard to decide when there are this many options!”

“What would you like the flowers to say to her, exactly?” She pressed her chin into her palm and leaned against the counter, watching Lee fall into deep thought.

“Well,” he began, pausing for a moment as he scratched at his chin. “I suppose… I would most like to tell her how happy I am she is returning safe! She is a dear friend to me and I missed her!”

Scooting out from behind the counter, Ino rubbed her hands together and grinned. Now was the moment that she worked her magic. Plucking a few yellow roses out of one vase, she offered, “For friendship.” Grabbing a few pink carnations to add to the bouquet, “For missing her.” Moving over to the Lily of the Valley, she picked out a few of the prettiest stems of tiny white flowers. “And for a return to happiness!”

Once she had the flowers shuffled the way that she wanted, pink, yellow, and white all mixed together beautifully, she wrapped the bouquet in tissue paper and offered it to Lee for his inspection. “You like it?”

He lit up immediately, a thousand-watt grin on his face.

“This is absolutely perfect, Ino! Thank you so very much! The colors are complementary to one another and the meaning is exactly what I want to express to her!” Ino shook her head at his enthusiasm, smiling through the light blush the praise had brought to her cheeks. “It’s nothing, Lee.”

As he continued to offer his enthusiastic gratitude, Ino found herself focusing on her own bouquet she had sitting in a vase, waiting for the moment she could give them to her girlfriend. Pink and red roses mixed with daffodils, all the very best flowers she could find in her shop— even so, she still worried that they wouldn’t be beautiful enough for Sakura.

Who was she kidding? No flower would ever be beautiful enough for Sakura.

Her heart did that silly, lovesick thing where her pulse sped up and it felt like her heart leaped in her chest. She was head over heels, really, wasn’t she?

“Are you planning on waiting for her arrival at the gate? The team is expected to return within the hour.” Lee’s voice was once again what brought her out of her reverie, and she quirked an eyebrow with a grin.

“Do you really want to compete with my bouquet first thing Sakura walks through the village gate?”

The question was playful, of course, but it still caused Lee to furrow his brow and clench his fist decisively. “I know that I am merely one of many friends to Sakura, but I accept this challenge and vow to impress her with my dedication as well as my flowers!”

Ino blinked owlishly before laughing again and patting Lee on the back. “I have to get dinner ready for us; you don’t have to worry about my flowers challenging yours to a duel or anything.” She paused, looking out the window for a moment. “You’ll tell her to head this way as soon as she can, though, right?”

It was Lee’s turn to smile, a much gentler look than his earlier grin. “Of course I will. I would be honored to escort her back home, as well!”

Nodding her thanks, Ino started to untie her apron. “I’m going to go ahead and close the shop for the day, so have a good evening and be safe!”

Lee gave a thumbs up with his free hand, the other holding Sakura’s bouquet gingerly. “Thank you for your help once again, Ino!”

After he made his way out of her shop, things got quiet again— it wasn’t like before, though. Instead of a quiet anxiety, she felt a quiet excitement. Lee must have rubbed off on her; that, or knowing how close she was to seeing Sakura again really soothed her nerves. After she made her way home, preparing dinner was easy enough— Ino had waited a month now to see Sakura again, waiting an hour couldn’t even begin to compare.

She felt Sakura’s chakra before she heard her come in the door, and it came with a huge wave of relief. Standing up and making her way over to the doorway, she tried to play it cool with a grin. “Welcome home.”

Playing it cool didn’t last long, though, because Sakura ran forward to pull her into a tight embrace. She had the biggest grin on her face and Ino couldn’t help but to mirror it, tears welling in her eyes as she pulled back just enough to kiss her girlfriend. “I missed you,” she said in between kisses, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

After a moment of just basking in how wonderful it was to have Sakura home, Ino nodded back towards their dining table, where dinner and her bouquets sat waiting. “I made dango for dessert.”

Sakura laughed joyously, raising the bouquet she already had in her hands. “Between you and Lee, I’m not going to have anywhere to put all the flowers!” She reached down with her free hand to hold Ino’s, twining their fingers together. “It’s nice to be home, though. I missed you, too!”

For a moment, Ino wondered how she had ever fought with Sakura– how she had ever let any dumb man come between her and the best thing that had ever happened in her life– but she didn’t linger on the thought for long.

“I love you.” She grinned as she led Sakura over to the table, an empty vase already ready and waiting for the other bouquet she carried.

When dinner had been finished and Sakura fell asleep with her head resting on her shoulder, Ino didn’t worry. She didn’t regret their fights, she didn’t get caught up in any lingering insecurities. She turned the lamp off and shifted more comfortably to fit against Sakura in their bed, and she thanked whatever gods there were that she was home.

**Author's Note:**

> if you would like to hmu, talk to me on twitter [@lotuspeaches](http://twitter.com/lotuspeaches)!


End file.
